House rejects funding measure that would have provided Texas with wildfire aid

Texas has already received over $3 billion in disaster aid from FEMA, but a bill that failed in the house may jeopardize further funds. (AP Photo)

By KYLE GLAZIER and ALEXANDRA JAFFE

Two Texas Republicans joined the Democratic contingent tonight in shooting down a government spending measure in the House that would have funded the government through mid-November. The bill also included $3.6 billion in federal emergency aid for ravaged areas around the U.S., including the 52 Texas counties President Obama declared as disaster areas recently.

The measure was an interim solution that would have taken effect Sept. 30 after the current funding bill, which was passed in April, expires. At issue was the additional billions in emergency funding, which Sen. Harry Reid attached to the Senate version of the bill before it went to the House for approval.

Lawmakers have been wrangling over the annual budget for months, with neither side appearing willing to back down. Republicans added cuts from a Democrat-backed green energy initiative to the bill to offset the costs of the emergency funds. But Democrats said that cutting funding from the green energy program would effectively cut jobs.

Despite the Republican majority in the House, the bill failed, 230-195. Forty-eight Republicans broke ranks and voted against the bill, including Reps. Ted Poe of Humble and Louie Gohmert of Tyler.

Republicans said the poor state of the economy requires offsets for any spending that is beyond the level of the stopgap measure passed in April.

“House Democrats want higher spending and disaster relief that adds billions of dollars in new debt,” said Rep. Kevin Brady, R-The Woodlands, who supported the resolution.

“It’s time to budget for these disasters,” Brady said, “and there is plenty of frivolous spending in Washington that can be cut to pay for it.”

Democrats largely refused to support the bill, arguing that requiring offsets for emergency funding sets a dangerous precedent, in case federal money is needed in the wake of a future large-scale disaster.

“We have to understand that there will be emergencies that the government should respond to, that we have traditionally responded to, and we have to do so without having to cut jobs,” said Rep. Al Green, D-Houston. Green also voted against the resolution.

“I’m concerned about being able to have a rapid response to another Katrina or natural disaster,” he added.

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee voted against the measure. (AP Photo)

Some Democrats expressed concern that the amount of emergency funding provided by the bill was far lower than what the Obama administration requested. The bill provided for $3.6 billion, while the Democrat-controlled Senate already approved a bill granting nearly $7 billion for FEMA.

“Now is not the time to crunch numbers on the backs of disaster victims,” said Houston Democrat Sheila Jackson Lee.

Before voting against the measure, Jackson Lee expressed hope that the originally bill, which passed with the support of 10 Senate Republicans, would eventually pass the House.

“[The Senate bill] was bipartisan language that fairly addresses the question of how you fund the disaster aid,” she said. “It does not penalize the American people by using offsets. So I would really like to use my ‘no’ vote to encourage the Senate bill to be the one we ultimately vote on.”

Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, expressed annoyance at what he said was a Republican refusal to compromise, calling the Republican position on the offsets “a take it or leave it kind of attitude.”

“Why don’t you work with us?” Cuellar said. “If you don’t have the votes, you need to talk to us.”

However, many Republicans said spending decisions should be made on a case-by-case basis, including Rep. Pete Olson, R-Sugar Land. Olson voted for the bill.

“Congressman Olson feels we need to evaluate emergency aid based on the strength of the economy and the emergency we’re dealing with. We do know there’s going to be floods, going to be earthquakes, going to be natural disasters that come up,” said Olson’s spokesperson Melissa Kelly.

Although Congress was scheduled for a recess starting Saturday, the bill’s defeat means lawmakers will need to remain at work until they create a bill to which both chambers can agree.